Res Obscura: What Did 17th Century Food Taste Like?

As the official portraitist for the Spanish monarchy at the height of its glory, Diego Velzquez painted queens, emperors, and gods. But one of his most famous paintings is a window into a much humbler world. A woman is frying eggs in hot oil, ready to scoop them out with a simple wooden spoon. Behind her, a servant boy carries a half-full jug of wine and a melon tied up in a loop of twine.